INDIA: Amul owner set to accept Trix TM loss to General Mills

Indian dairy giant Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation has signalled it will accept the loss of its rights over the chocolate brand Trix to General Mills.

An Indian court ruled last week in favour of the US food group after a five-year legal battle between the two companies.

GCMMF registered Trix in 1977 but did not launch a product under the brand until 1986 and stopped selling the line a year later. In 2007, the co-op tried to relaunch the brand but at the same time General Mills launched a snack in a number of markets called Dip Trix.

Rupinder Singh Sodhi, chief general manager of GCMMF, said company lawyers would be studying the ruling by the high court of the western Indian state of Gujarat.

However, Sodhi indicated his company, which owns the major Indian dairy brand Amul, would probably not appeal. He told just-food "Trix was not so important a brand for us and the loss does not matter too much".

General Mills, which sells products under brands including Pillsbury, Green Giant and Häagen-Dazs ice cream in India, could not be reached for comment.